Johnnie Johnson (musician)
|
|
Johnnie Johnson (July 8, 1924 – April 13, 2005) was a piano player and blues musician whose contributions to music led to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He was born in Fairmont, West Virginia and began playing piano in 1928. He joined the United States Marine Corps during World War II. After his return, he moved to Chicago, where he performed as a session musician for many notable artists, including Chuck Berry, who joined Johnson's band after a stint in jail, The Sir John Trio in 1953. Berry later wrote "Johnny B. Goode" as a tribute to Johnson, and the two collaborated in the composition of many of Berry's songs including Berry's first hit "Maybellene" and the Blues B-Side "Wee Wee Hours". They played and toured together until 1973.
Johnson was known to have a drinking problem. In Chuck Berry's autobiography, Berry tells of how he declared there would be no drinking in the car, while on the road. Johnson and band-mates complied with the request by putting their heads out the window.
Johnson received very little recognition until Keith Richards' concert/documentary Chuck Berry Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll in 1987. That attention helped Johnson, who was a bus driver in St. Louis, Missouri at the time, return to music. He recorded his first solo album, Blue Hand Johnnie, that same year. He later performed with Richards, Eric Clapton, John Lee Hooker and Bo Diddley.
In November 2000, Johnson sued Berry, alleging he deserved co-composer credits (and royalties) for dozens of songs, including ""No Particular Place To Go", "Sweet Little Sixteen", and "Roll Over Beethoven", that credit Berry alone. The case was dismissed in less than a year because too many years had passed since the songs in dispute were written.
In 2001, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
External links
- Inductee: Johnnie Johnson (http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=1147) from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website
- Johnnie Johnson Blues & Jazz Society (http://www.johnniejohnsonbluesandjazz.com/) in Fairmont, West Virginia
- The 4th Annual Johnnie Johnson Blues & Jazz Festival (http://www.johnniejohnsonbluesandjazz.com/festival.html) in Fairmont, West Virginia. July 15-17, 2005.
- Johnnie Johnson: The Father of Rock & Roll (http://www.johnnie.com/), a site maintained by aspiring recording artist "SPIKE the Percussionist"
- Chuck Berry Royalties Case Thrown Out By Judge (http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/12055406), an October 2002 article from a Yahoo! website
- Obituary (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/2C866FD4E510107A86256FE2005DC94A?OpenDocument) from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 13, 2005.
- Keith Richards Remembers Johnnie. (http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/7250961/johnniejohnson?pageid=rs.Artistcage&pageregion=triple3) Stones guitarist reflects on friend, idol Johnson. April 15, 2005de:Johnnie Johnson